Otsu

After booking our flights to Japan this time, we realized it happened to be during the Silver Week long weekend. Because accommodation prices were a bit high during the holiday, we only stayed here for 3 nights. Every room here offers a lake view, and taking a walk along the riverbank in the early morning or evening is very relaxing. The room space is quite spacious and doesn't feel cramped. There are three breakfast options, but actually, the dishes at Top of Otsu and Biona are almost identical. What was a bit disappointing is that the bread selection is small and quite average, remaining the same every day. There are quite a few local Japanese tour groups here (mostly seniors). Since tour groups tend to check out earlier, people start waiting at the door around 6:20 AM for breakfast which starts at 6:30 🤣. There is a free shuttle bus running between JR Otsu Station and the hotel, but it can get quite crowded during certain times.

This was my first time visiting Ogoto Onsen, and I booked Yumotokan. Upon arrival, there was a mobile phone set up at the JR station specifically for contacting nearby hot spring inns, which could be used to request a shuttle pickup. It was a very thoughtful touch. The inn's room was spacious and fully equipped. The men's and women's baths swap locations daily. Our stay included two meals per day (dinner and breakfast), the food was delicious, and the breakfast was a buffet.

The hotel is just next to the Seta JR station (less than a minute walk), and there's convenience stores nearby. The breakfast buffet is delicious. Room amenities is sufficient for our stay. They also have luggage storage service which allows us to travel a bit around Biwako region after checkout.

Located in a very nice neighborhood, close to train station from kyoto. the room is very clean and nice and fully equipped. it’s nicely 2 bedrooms. stairs to go up to the second bedroom, with a small toilet

Thank you to our guide Effy! I enjoyed the tour today and it was nice to connect with nature. The tour made transport easy for me to visit areas that are not convenient with public transit. Reminder that the Biwako terrace is at a ski resort... bring a jacket or brave the cold wind like I did!!

It was my first experience with klook and I couldn't be happier. Even if it was rainy the whole day, we could enjoy the itinerary as described thanks to Effy. She was amazing, she explained everything and was always ready to answer other questions and doubts. I would totally recommend 🌱

I was very fortunate to have Abu as my tour guide this time; he was truly exceptional. In addition to providing detailed explanations of the attractions along the way, he also shared a lot of Japanese culture and historical background, making the entire trip very enriching. He took great care of every group of guests, and even as a solo traveler like myself, I never felt overlooked, which was very reassuring. During the trip, a small incident occurred: a vending machine in a tourist area took my money when I tried to buy water. At the time, we were in a hurry to catch a cable car, so Abu quickly decided not to delay the itinerary and told me he would accompany me to the service center to handle it later. Due to the language barrier, when I explained my situation to the service staff, they didn't fully understand at first and asked for clarification multiple times. Fortunately, Abu was there to help translate and explain. Although the back-and-forth communication took some time, we eventually managed to get a refund. Not only is he a professional guide, but he also proactively assists and patiently handles unexpected situations for travelers, which I truly appreciate. I highly recommend Abu and hope to join another one of his tours in the future!

The day before the one-day tour, we received an email from our tour guide, Sun Jiaxue (Yuki), detailing the itinerary, important notes, meeting point, and contact information. Since there were about 20 people in our group, we traveled by large bus. At the start of the one-day tour and just before reaching our destination, our guide Yuki provided detailed explanations and important information. She also used Line to send reminders about the itinerary and pickup locations. Itinerary Stop 1: Miho Museum - I.M. Pei's Utopia. Anyone studying architecture must experience the master's architectural design and its integration with the environment. Lunch was at our own expense; the rice balls and Miho tofu at the ticket center's restaurant are worth trying. (Photos 1-3) Itinerary Stop 2: Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine on Mount Hiei - This is the head shrine for over 3,800 Hie, Hiyoshi, and Sanno shrines across Japan, known for monkeys serving as messengers of the gods. (Photo 4) Itinerary Stop 3: Shirahige Shrine and Water Torii Gate on Lake Biwa - A legendary spot said to be closest to the gods. (Photos 5-6) Many thanks to our tour guide Yuki and the driver for their excellent service on today's one-day tour. Our family of four had a truly enriching experience.

Tour guide Zhang Yanjin was extremely nice 👍 He drove smoothly, provided just the right amount of information, and kindly answered all our questions. I felt the time allocated for each stop was well planned. Also, thank you to all the fellow travelers who joined today—even though there were only 8 of us, everyone was quite punctual! ✅ I recommend renting an audio guide at Miho Museum ✅ (The last photo of Shirahige Shrine was edited because of bad weather 🤣)